Carriès was fascinated by frogs, which appear in several examples of his work. Le Grenouillard is his fantastical sculpture of a half-man, half-frog sitting among a family of smaller frogs. It recalls the gargoyles of Gothic cathedrals while also resembling a large-scale version of the whimsical Japanese carved sculpture known as netsuke. Carriès may have known the Japanese legend of Gama Sennin (frog sage), an Immortal who often took the form of his companion, a large toad.

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Signature: Signed along the edge of the base

Provenance

[ sale, Sotheby's, New York , November 26, 1993, lot 82; sold to Ellison ] ; Robert A. Ellison Jr. , New York (1993–2013; sold to MMA)